Description of the male of Leptotyphlus kovaci Šustek, 2000, the only Central European species of the Mediterranean genus Leptotyphlus Fauvel, 1874 (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Leptotyphlinae)

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_ Description of the male of Leptotyphlus kovaci

Sustek, 2000, the only Central European species of

the Mediterranean genus Leptotyphlus Fauvel, 1874
(Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Leptotyphlinae)

Gyérgy Makranczy!

| Department of Zoology, Hungarian Natural History Museum, H-1088 Budapest, Baross utca 13, Hungary

Corresponding author: Gyérgy Makranczy (makranczy@zoo.nhmus.hu)

Academic editor: V. Assing | Received 27 May 2015 | Accepted 16 June 2015 | Published 25 June 2015
Attp://zoobank. org/E9149A 1 C-D9F9-42EA-BC53-971450A30B4A

Citation: Makranczy Gy (2015) Description of the male of Leptotyphlus kovaci Sustek, 2000, the only Central European
species of the Mediterranean genus Leptotyphlus Fauvel, 1874 (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Leptotyphlinae). ZooKeys 509:
141-146. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.509.10059

Abstract
The previously unknown male of Leptotyphlus kovaci Sustek, 2000 is described and illustrated. The re-

lationship of the species is discussed. The species is also reported from Gemerskoteplicka jaskyna near

Jelsavska Teplica (Slovakia).

Keywords
Leptotyphlus kovaci, male characters, Silicka planina, Jelsavsky kras

Introduction

The genus Leptotyphlus Fauvel, 1874 with more than 200 named species (Herman 2001
and subsequent descriptions) is the most speciose genus of the subfamily Leptotyphli-
nae (worldwide distribution, 43 genera, 515 species). Members of the subfamily are
adapted to subterranean life and soil-dwelling; they are frequently found near caves. The
known distribution of Leptotyphlus is from the Pyrenees and Southern France to Italy,

Copyright Gyorgy Makranczy. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC
BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

142 Gyorgy Makranczy / ZooKeys 509: 141-146 (2015)

with a few species in Spain and Tunisia. With its predominantly Western and Central
Mediterranean distribution, it was a great surprise when a new species of this genus was
described from Ardovska jaskyna at Ardovo (Pelsdécardé), Slovakia, not far from the
Hungarian border (Sustek 2000). While there are no real gaps in the known distribu-
tion of this genus (only about 150 km), L. kovaci Sustek, 2000 was found about 630 km
away from the nearest other member of this genus (L. foroiuliensis Pace, 1976). The de-
scription was based on two females (in microscopic preparation). The specimens came
from soil at a forested cave entrance of Ardovska jaskyna near the village Ardovo, a few
kilometers SE of Plesivec. Attempts to gather more specimens remained unsuccessful
until in 2009 the present writer collected 4 specimens, including one male, at the type
locality. In 2010 the species was also found at Gemerskoteplicka jaskyna near JelSavska
Teplica. In contrast to the type locality, this is a watery cave, with a stream exiting and
providing humid microclimate, not allowing the soil to dry out. The description of the
male is very important, since this species is the only Central European member of this
very speciose genus, and also because only based on characters of the aedeagus can its
phylogenetic afhliations be assessed.

Material and methods

In the framework of the Gemer-ATBI+M program (EDIT WP7), the author had an
opportunity to collect at the type locality on two occasions. ‘The cave is situated at
the edge of Silicka planina (Szilicei-fennsik). The new record is from Jelsavsky kras,
an adjacent large karstic area. For collecting, the soil-washing method was used: soil
together with roots and stones is immersed in water, repeatedly stirred, and the sub-
stance gathering on the water surface is collected with a fine tea-filtering net. The
organic matter was gathered in a fabric sack which was then drained from excess water
and the material was eventually placed in Berlese funnels for further drying and was
heated with small (20W) lamps from above. Sampling was done at 6-7 different spots
per site to increase the chance of capture. The specimens are dry mounted. Genitalia
drawings were made by embedding into Euparal mounting medium on small plastic
slides pinned with the specimens. Drawing was done with a Jenalab (Carl Zeiss, Jena)
compound microscope and drawing tube (camera lucida), SEM imaging of uncoated
specimens with a Hitachi S-2600 N scanning electron microscope. The terminology of
the description follows Orousset (1987, 2013).

The following codens indicate collections in which the listed specimens are depos-
ited: The Natural History Museum (formerly British Museum of Natural History),
London, United Kingdom (BMNH), Hungarian Natural History Museum, Buda-
pest, Hungary (HNHM). Numbers in brackets “{ }” stand for collecting events.

Description of the male of Leptotyphlus kovaci Sustek, 2000... 143

Taxonomy

Leptotyphlus (Leptotyphlus) kovaci Sustek, 2000
Figs 1-10

Leptotyphlus (Leptotyphlus) kovaci Sustek, 2000: 151.

Material examined. SLOVAKIA, Silicka planina, 1 km SSE Ardovo, Ardovska jaskyna,
dark oak-maple forest at cave entrance, 310 m, top 15 cm of soil (roots, stones, hu-
mus), soil-washing {016}, 48°31718"N, 20°25°16”E, 30.V.2009, leg. Gy. Makranczy
(1 male, 2 females, HNHM, 1 female, BMNH); SLOVAKIA, Jelsavsky kras, Gemer-
skoteplicka jaskyna, 1.5 km E Jelsavska Teplica, forest at cave entrance, 230 m, soil-
washing 1-4 m from outcoming stream, 20 cm deep {115}, 48°36°18"N, 20°17°42”E,
25.IV.2010, leg. Gy. Makranczy (1 male, HNHM).

Partial redescription (male). Measurements in mm (separately for male from Ar-
dovska jaskyna / male from Gemerskoteplicka jaskyna): head width = 0.14 / 0.155;
maximum width of pronotum = 0.135 / 0.15; maximum width of elytra = 0.12 / 0.14;
maximum width of abdomen = 0.14 / 0.15; head length from front margin of clypeus
to the beginning of neck = 0.14 / 0.14; length of pronotum in the middle-line = 0.14
/ 0.16; length of elytra from hind apex of scutellum = 0.09 / 0.10; length of abdo-
men = 0.71 / 0.75 (all measured from dorsal view). Forebody as in Fig. 1 (Ardovska
jaskyna) and Fig. 4 (Gemerskoteplicka jaskyna). Head subrectangular, length about 4/5
of width, parallel-sided, neck separated by transversal groove. Pronotum very slightly
narrower than head, both anterior and posterior pronotal margins truncate, sides nar-
rowing behind, gently arched anteriorly, more strongly on posterior portion; anterior
angles narrowly rounded, posterior angles more broadly. Elytra together less broad than
pronotum, trapezoid, shoulders not developed, posterior margin almost truncate, very
slightly concave at suture. Abdomen (Gemerskoteplicka jaskyna) as in Fig. 5, very elon-
gate and parallel-sided; segment VII with much shortened inner laterosclerites. Antenna
(Gemerskoteplicka jaskyna) as in Fig. 6, antennomeres 3—11 strongly transverse, articles
9-11 with modified setae. Dissected genital segments of male from Ardovska jaskyna:
sternite VIII (dorsal view) as in Fig. 2, segments [X—X (ventral view) as in Fig. 3.

Aedeagus (Figs 7-10). Greatly asymmetrical. Sternal lamina (1) strongly developed,
elongate, with a broadened, hammer-like apex. Sternal lobe (Is) well-developed, in lateral
view on the side of sternal lamina opposite to basal orifice, exceeding half length of sternal
lamina; in parameral view sternal lobe situated at right side of sternal lamina. Both left
and right parameres well-developed, each with 4 strong setae on apex; apices approaching
but not reaching half of length of sternal lamina from basal capsule. Copulatory pieces: p1
not developed (in most other related species a large, broad blade-like structure, often ap-
proaching apex of sternal lamina), p2 present but weakly developed, without any peculiar
formation, p3 (often helicoid in related species) present but inconspicuous (a little sticking
out in the Gemerskoteplicka jaskyfia specimen, but can be explained as variability). Proxi-

mal callus (cp) on basal capsule (cb) very strongly developed, apically with a deflexed edge.

Gyorgy Makranczy / ZooKeys 509: 141-146 (2015)

Figures 1-6. Leptotyphlus kovaci Sustek, 2000 male from Ardovskd jaskyta (1-3) and male from Ge-
merskoteplicka jaskyna (4—6). 1, 4 forebody 2 sternite VIII, dorsal view 3 abdominal segments [X—X,
ventral view 5 abdomen, dorsal view 6 antenna. Scale bar: 0.06 mm (6), 0.08 mm (2), 0.1 mm (I, 4),

0.11 mm (3), 0.15 mm (5).

Description of the male of Leptotyphlus kovaci Sustek, 2000... 145

Figures 7-10. Leptotyphlus kovaci Sustek, 2000 male from Ardovska jaskyita (7-8) and male from Ge-
merskoteplicka jaskyna (9-10). 7, 9 lateral view 8, 10 “parameral” view. Scale bar: 0.1 mm.

146 Gyorgy Makranczy / ZooKeys 509: 141-146 (2015)

Sexual dimorphism: none besides the usual differences in terminalia. The much
wider genital segments mentioned in the original description are an artefact resulting
from squeezing the specimens by mounting them between glass surfaces.

Remarks. Based on the structures of the male genitalia, the species belongs to
the subgenus Leptotyphlus as correctly stated in the original description and to the L.
(L.) tyrrhenius species group (sensu Pace (1996)). Similar species are L. (L.) uccellin-
ensis Pace, 1978 and Leptotyphlus (Leptotyphlus) aithaliensis Orousset, 1983, but in L.
(L.) Rovaci the sternal lobe is on the opposite side of the sternal lamina, compared to
most other known species, and the pl lobe of copulatory pieces is not developed. ‘The
sole male specimen from Gemerskoteplicka jaskyna is slightly larger, with somewhat
broader head. However, the comparison of the aedeagi reveals only minor differences
that may be due to infraspecific variation or distortions. ‘There is no evidence suggest-
ing that the two male specimens may represent different species. On the other hand,
the aedeagus of L. (L.) kovaci differs quite remarkably from the most similar congeners
in Tuscany and Corsica. The knowledge of the male genitalia may gain greater sig-
nificance when more species are discovered, especially from more southern mountain
ranges of the Carpathians or from the northern Balkans.

Acknowledgements

Thanks are due to the Gemer-ATBI+M program, its organizers and coordinators; to
Stanislav Benedikt (Plzen, Czech Republic) and Marion Manti¢ (Ostrava, Czech Re-
public) for their company, guidance and help with transportation. The author would
like to acknowledge the reviews and helpful comments contributed by Peter Hlavac

(Prague, Czech Republic) and Tim Struyve (Muizen, Belgium).

References

Herman LH (2001) Catalog of the Staphylinidae (Insecta: Coleoptera). 1785 to the end of the
second Millennium. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 265: 1-4218.
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Orousset J (1987) Coléoptéres hypogés de Corse. XII. Les Leptotyphlus (s. str.) du groupe de
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Orousset J (2013) Coléoptéres hypogés de Corse. XLI. La faune du désert des Agriates (Coleoptera,
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Pace R (1996) Fauna d'Italia, Vol. XXXIV: Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Leptotyphlinae. Edizio-
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Sustek Z (2000) Leptotyphlus kovaci sp. n. (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae) a relic endogean rove
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